The All Blacks have made the Rugby World Cup finals after beating South Africa 20-18 in the first semi-final this morning.

It was a typically tight physical battle between the two sides with both teams looking to dominate play.

The first points of the game came for Handre Pollard with a penalty in the first two minutes when Kieran Reid was caught off-side at a lineout.

But Jerome Kaino soon had the All Blacks on the board with a try in the sixth minute for Dan Carter to convert to take the score out to 7-3.

South Africa responded quickly with another penalty in the tenth minute when Richie McCaw was caught off-side at a ruck to make it 7-6.

It was a titanic forward battle in the first 15 minutes with both forwards ripping into each other. Kaino brought his A-game smashing into the South Africans with reckless abandonment for his own health.

But South Africa were winning the highball battle and Pollard rewarded his side with another penalty in the twentieth minute to retake the lead 9-7.

The All Blacks controlled possession in the first 30 minutes of the match but South Africa was winning the breakdown battle. Carter had the chance in the 32^nd minute to give the All Blacks back the lead after South Africa were caught of side but the ball bounced off the post.

But it was South Africa who were to put points on the board when in the 39^th minute, Kaino was given 10 minutes in the bin after cynical play. Pollard made easy work of the kick to take the score to 12-7 and that's how it would stay until the break.

The second 40 minutes saw the rain set in which meant the All Blacks continued with the highball kick. But it was a drop kick by Carter in the 45^th minute to bring the first points in the second half to make it 12-10.

At the 50^th minute, the All Blacks went to their bench but it was Ma'a Nonu who broke the South African defence putting Beauden Barrett into the corner to score and Carter to convert to give the All Blacks the lead once more 17-12.

South Africa went to their bench changing their front row and it worked with the All Blacks pinged at scrum time giving Pollard the chance to put South Africa two points behind 17-15.

But South Africa handed the All Blacks an easy penalty at the kick-off just outside their 22m. Carter made easy work to push the lead out to 20-15.

The last quarter was a tight tussle and both sides had to come up with some tough defence to hold their opponents out. But it was another penalty against the All Blacks which saw replacement first-five Patrick Lambie give South Africa another penalty kick to take them within two points once more 20-18.

South Africa had their first real chance of attack with 10 minutes on the board and a lineout inside the All Blacks' 22m but the All Blacks counterpunched and staved off the attack.

Seven minutes on the board the All Blacks had a scrum just inside South Africa's half but couldn't find any space. Both sides battled hard to gain ascendancy but both sides were relentless on defence.

With less than a minute on the board South Africa had a scrum inside their 22m the All Blacks lifted in defence and stifled South Africa out of the match to win 20-18.

The All Blacks will meet the winner of tomorrow mornings second semi-final between Argentina and Australia.